BC POLITICS
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THREAD: ELECTORAL COUNT ACT DAY.

Usually no one pays attention to Jan. 6 after a presidential election. But today the world is watching. Follow along, if you dare, as we watch Congress. We know the outcome: Joe Biden's win will be official. But it could be bumpy. 1/

 What normally happens? A fairly boring, routine joint meeting of the Senate and House in which they open the electoral college votes from each state, in alphabetical order. Senators and House members can object, but it's usually not drawn out. 2/
The vice president presides as the the president of the Senate. There are two "tellers" from each House. The process goes through all 50 states and DC, and the winner is announced. All routine. Even Al Gore presided to announce his own loss in Jan 2001. 3/
But today, a few rogue Republicans plan to muck up the process to object to several states' votes. Not because they have any evidence of any problems--there isn't any. They are lying just because their preferred candidate lost. This is anti-democracy conduct. 4/
As @derektmuller explains in @nytimes, Dems objected to EC votes in 2001, 2005, and 2016. It takes an objection from a member of both Houses to move to a two hour debate. That happened in 2005. Big difference in context: the pres candidate had conceded. 5/ https://t.co/Rbvhaya3KZ
NEW: important letter from VP saying that he cannot unilaterally change the presidential election outcome. https://t.co/CSVE87HLpD
Wolf Blizter just said on CNN that "I'm sure this was a difficult thing to do for the Vice President."

Ummm...upholding your oath of office and the Constitution should not be difficult. 7/
Here we go...starting with Alabama. 8/
Pence clearly showing he is going to play this straight, not allowing an inquiry about how to make an objection from the gallery because debate is not allowed under the Electoral Count Act. 9/
Want to read some of the most convoluted law out there? Check out the Electoral Count Act, which governs this proceeding: https://t.co/KB5IWb12Es 10/
Here comes Arizona, which will likely be the first objection. If the objection is joined by one member of the Senate and one member of the House, then the chambers retire for two hours of debate. 11/
During those two hours, each member can speak for 5 minutes. Debate is cut off after 2 hours.

The Electoral College votes must be counted unless both Houses object. 12/
There was just a standing ovation for the objection to Arizona's Electoral College votes.

They were literally standing to object to democracy. Unbelievable. 13/
Let's be clear: there was ZERO problems with the election in Arizona. They are simply upset that Trump lost.

Democracy can't work if the losing side won't accept defeat. 14/
To anyone saying that it's ok for Repubs to do this because Dems did it in 2005 for OH:

1. Two wrongs don't make a right.
2. The context was very different--there, the losing candidate conceded he lost and objectors explicitly said they weren't trying to change the results. 15/
Meanwhile... https://t.co/T2XE6P7ZM0 16/
Debate in the House begins with Rep Steve Scalise. He claims that states didn't use the process required by the Constitution. (He's invoking the "independent state legislature doctrine.")

That is just factually inaccurate. He is lying. 17/
To be clear: states changed their election rules to respond to the pandemic. Some did it through the legislature. Some did it by executive order or SOS authority--given by the legislature! And fed. and state courts heard numerous challenges. 18/
Scalise won his election in Louisiana--which changed election rules.

So he thinks his own election should be called into question as well?! 19/
McConnell making a forceful statement explaining that there is no evidence of massive voter fraud or other problems.

BREAKING: I FINALLY AGREE WITH MCCONNELL ABOUT VOTING RIGHTS! 20/
McConnell: "This election was not actually unusually close."

When it came down to it, McConnell is standing up for democracy. 21/
This sure doesn't sound like the Mitch McConnell I've come to (not) love. Talking about bipartisanship, needing to work together, etc. Perhaps last night's results in Georgia are on his mind...? 22/
I mean, I love this speech from McConnell, but he should have said this two months ago. It could have reduced a lot of this chaos. 23/

https://t.co/rNoe1lnn7H
This: https://t.co/PxUPjJq1da
Chuck Schumer just used the "c" word (coup).
25/
What we're seeing: American democracy survives today.

But just imagine if this had actually been a close election, perhaps down to one state and 537 votes in that state, to choose a not-random number. We could be in an even scarier place. 26/
Pretty stark contrast between Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer extolling the virtues of democracy and the losing side accept their defeat, and reports that House members are sheltering in place and their staffs evacuating. https://t.co/7v2yVzn7yV 27/
Ted Cruz says to Dems "your guy is winning right now. If Democrats vote as a bloc, Joe Biden will almost certainly" become the next president.

"almost certainly."

He's delusional. 28/
Cruz keeps talking about how many people think the election was rigged.

BUT THAT BECAUSE YOU KEEP SAYING IT WAS RIGGED!

29/
Cruz asks for an electoral commission, pointing to the Hayes-Tilden dispute of 1877. But Congress passed the Electoral Count Act of 1887 specifically because of the problems in how that election was resolved!

He wants a "credible impartial body." Over 60 courts don't count? 30/
Hopped over to House for a minute. Rep Mast from FL says election isn't final because Supreme Court hasn't decided.

That's of course ridiculous. SCOTUS doesn't take every case appealed to it. If it thought there was an issue needing resolution, it would have taken the case. 31/
Senator Toomey makes a intellectually consistent argument: why are they only objecting to the swing states that Trump lost? Why not North Carolina or California?

Nice to hear this from the R side. 32/
Meanwhile...what is happening at the Capitol is just heartbreaking and despicable. 33/

https://t.co/sxTpetKeZe
"stand back and stand by."

Words have meaning. This is so sad. 34/
A true American president would call on protesters to remain peaceful and would try to de-escalate the situation. Instead Trump tweets this.

Beyond despicable. 35/ https://t.co/5UCY6tEdDP
Joe Biden will still become president on Jan. 20. These thugs won't change that fact.

But it's still a sad day for American democracy. 36/

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1) FL absentees, early voting:

*Dems as expected ("souls to the polls Sunday") had a good day and FINALLY take the early walk-in vote lead by 6,100 votes.

Rs total: 1,151,593
Ds total: 1,092,547

Rs +59,046 combined lead. This is very good for this point in the campaign.

2) At this point in 2016, Rs only led by 40,000. I could be mistaken but I think yesterday was the last day polls were open on Sunday, so the final "souls to the polls" Sunday.

3) As of yesterday, four red counties were yet to report. That would likely boost the lead back to 70k

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Clark (with its union "encouragement" for members turned out big yesterday and added net 6,000 voters.

However---big however---neither Washoe nor the rurals . . .

(5) contd. . . were open yesterday. My guesstimate is that would slice that number in half.

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Let's imagine that elections use all the security measures security people have been advocating: risk-limiting audits, paper ballots, etc. Would people trust the elections more?

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Georgia did a full recount on paper ballots and it very much didn't stop people from doubting the election!

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Ok I was wrong about theHouse. 2 years of legislative gridlock = not fun. Few bills passing.

Control of the House is useless when it comes to keeping Trump from declassifying all the SpyGate docs. Or stopping an Inspector General from releasing a report.

Trump still gets control of judicial appointments so we can expect another 100 judges over the next two years. This time there’ll be no McCain or Flake playing the Maverick role with their swing vote.

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There’s a federal grand jury on McCabe right now. Did Congress ever finish it’s investigation and make a referral to the DOJ against him?

No.

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